20demayo Chapter 21 Blood-Clad Gate
Chapter 21 Blood-Clad Gate
The entire process was devoid of any earth-shattering battles or dazzling duels; it consisted only of Li Yi walking calmly alone, and the Blood-Clad Sect members falling, wailing, and becoming stiff.
In the desolate mountains and wilderness, there were only the rumbling of the ground exploding, the soft sound of bones breaking, and the occasional muffled groan of pain.
It all happened in just a few breaths.
Of the dozen or so Blood Robe Sect experts who had been so aggressive and launched a full-scale attack, only five remained.
The wind in the valley suddenly became very strong.
When Li Yi took his fifth step, the runes on the soles of his feet were still flickering intermittently, and behind him lay a scattering of fallen bodies. The wailing was cut short as soon as it began, as if someone had choked him, leaving only suppressed groans and heavy breathing.
The light in his double pupils hadn't completely faded, hovering in Li Yi's eye sockets, burning eerily like two will-o'-the-wisps, slowly sweeping across every face before him. The light wasn't blinding, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
The remaining five people were so shocked by this scene that they didn't move for a long time.
After a long silence, one of the five men, a middle-aged man, swallowed hard, his voice dry and hoarse like sandpaper grinding against a stone, and asked, "Second...Second Brother, what exactly is his cultivation level?"
The man called "Second Brother" was tall and thin, with blood wolf patterns embroidered on his cuffs. He was the deputy leader of the group. He still held his knife in his hand, but his hands were covered in sweat, and the blade trembled slightly, swaying in the sunlight.
He didn't rush to answer, his eyes fixed on Li Yi's back. The boy never turned around, his steps as steady as if he were walking in his own backyard, his breathing never faltering.
"I can't see through it." The man called "Second Brother" finally spoke, his voice extremely low, "But just now, Old Zhao's slash, a full-force strike from a mid-stage Tianyuan cultivator, didn't even penetrate two feet in front of him."
These words made the remaining people's expressions even more unpleasant.
A fat man wiped the cold sweat from his face, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down: "My punch was the same... before my fist was even fully extended, my brain felt like it was being pricked with needles, and my Yuan energy exploded. I've never experienced anything like this in my life."
"It's... utterly bizarre!"
"That...that's double pupils." Scarface suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse, his gaze fixed on the purple light that had not yet completely faded from Li Yi's eye sockets, and said, "It is said that those with double pupils have a mental pressure that can intimidate people and sever their vital energy."
"That's exactly what we just suffered from."
After he finished speaking, he paused, then suddenly frowned.
Because he noticed a detail... Li Yi's Yuan Power fluctuations weren't strong. Those few steps of the Qilin Steps just now were terrifying in their momentum, with runes covering the ground, but when it came to actually sensing the cultivation level, the sheer volume of that Yuan Power...
"Something's not right." Scarface suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Sense him carefully, his cultivation level... seems to be only at the mid-stage of the Earthly Origin realm?"
The air suddenly became quiet.
All five people focused their attention on sensing...
Li Yi did not deliberately conceal his aura; the fluctuation of his Yuan energy was clearly visible in the air. Although it was incredibly pure, its level was indeed only at the mid-stage of the Earthly Yuan realm.
There was a few moments of silence.
The fat man's eyes suddenly lit up, but quickly dimmed again. His voice was filled with obvious guilt as he stammered, "Mid-stage Earthly Realm? Then... then how did he just now..."
"Double pupils." The second brother repeated the word, but this time his tone changed. It was no longer fear, but a complex hesitation mixed with greed and apprehension. "Although those with double pupils aren't highly skilled, the power of those double pupils is truly too sinister. If the five of us coordinate well, perhaps..."
"Second Brother," the middle-aged man interrupted him, his voice bitter, "look at those brothers lying on the ground. Some were at the early stage of the Heavenly Origin Realm, some at the late stage of the Earthly Origin Realm, and they didn't even last a single move. What do you mean by 'maybe'?"
The second brother fell silent.
Li Yi's steps never stopped.
He had already walked more than ten steps, his shadow stretching longer and longer in the sunlight, like a shadow blown far away by the wind. The five men stood rooted to the spot, unable to move forward or backward, like five wooden stakes driven into the ground.
Finally, the middle-aged man who had spoken first gritted his teeth and called out to Li Yi's retreating figure, "Please wait, sir!"
Li Yi's steps did not stop.
"We don't want to be your enemy!" the man's voice grew more urgent. "We're just ordered to investigate the double-pupiled individuals. If we go back like this, our leader won't forgive us! If you're willing to give us an explanation, we..."
Upon hearing this, Li Yi finally stopped in his tracks.
He stood quietly in place, his back solitary and upright, the mountain wind fluttering the hem of his clothes, the soft rustling sound particularly clear in the silent mountain valley.
He didn't turn around, leaving only a faint profile silhouette. The light in his double pupils still flowed faintly, radiating a daunting spiritual pressure that enveloped the five people invisibly.
The five men breathed a slight sigh of relief when they saw him stop, but they still dared not approach rashly. Their nerves were taut, and their palms were covered in cold sweat. The horrific sight of their companion collapsing to the ground was still vivid in their minds, and none of them dared to easily provoke this seemingly only mid-stage Earthly Realm cultivator.
Seeing that Li Yi was not angry, the middle-aged man quickly pressed his advantage, his tone becoming even more humble, saying, "Sir, we were merely following orders and had no choice in the matter. We had no intention of making enemies of you. Today's incident was due to our ignorance and rashness in offending you. We hope you will forgive us."
Scarface quickly echoed, his expression restrained: "Yes, Your Excellency. The Blood Robe Sect has only heard of a powerful individual with double pupils and was ordered to investigate. We have no intention of deliberately making things difficult for you or harming you. If Your Excellency is kind enough to let us leave, we will remember your kindness and never provoke you again."
The tall, thin second brother gripped the long knife tightly in his hand, his fingertips turning white, his gaze fixed on Li Yi's back, his heart still churning with greed and fear.
He found it hard to accept that a mere mid-stage Earthly Realm cultivator could overwhelm more than a dozen skilled fighters with just a pair of double pupils. If he could unravel the secrets of double pupils, or even find a way to acquire them, it would be an immense opportunity for him.
But seeing his fellow disciples lying sprawled on the ground groaning, he forcibly suppressed his greed. This young man was too strange; he couldn't fathom his true strength. If he acted rashly, he would only end up like the others.
The mountain wind swept dust across the ground, creating a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere.
After a long while, Li Yi slowly turned around.
The young man had a handsome face and a calm, expressionless demeanor, without a trace of hostility. However, when his double pupils, glowing with purple light, swept over them, the five of them felt their minds suddenly froze, their brains inexplicably became dizzy, and the Yuan energy flowing through their bodies almost stopped.
"Ordered to investigate my background?" Li Yi's voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. His gaze slowly swept across the faces of the five people, and he said, "Heh, Blood Robe Sect, you have quite the audacity."